On
23 February, 2000, I visited with Jim Walther, the Director of the National Atomic
Museum, currently located on Kirtland Air Force Base. After hearing my ideas on
the Transportation Academy, the Albuquerque Aerospace
Museum, and Thunderbird Plaza, Jim gave me his candid observations.
Transportation Academy - Bingo.
This one out of the three is a winner. We should be able
to ride on the coat tails of the National Atomic Museum, the Wheels Museum, and
the new Balloon Fiesta Park Museum. Now, we have to get advisors from Albuquerque
Technical Vocational Institute and New Mexico
State University.
Preface
Let's
try to make a wholesome difference in the world. President John Kennedy gave America
a goal of putting a man on the Moon and we did it. I propose we adapt the goal
of providing transportation that emits zero pollution.
We
can do it.
Albuquerque
Transportation
Museums
In Albuquerque
about two years ago, someone came up with the idea of acquiring two giant warehouses
that the railway is no longer using and convert them into the Wheel Museum.
I
agree.
But I propose that an
Aerospace Museum be built at the corner of Wyoming and Central because of it's
proximity to the entry gate at Kirtland Air Force Base.
I
propose that the two museums provide classroom space for the Transportation Academy
which will be a new school of the New Mexico State University.
Rather than having Intel, in Rio Rancho, be a Pied Piper for
the students in the Rio Grande valley, I propose that we adapt Transportation
as a recommended career field.
I'm not suggesting to bring heavy industry into the area, but
rather we become a research Mecca for the diverse modes of transportation. We'll
try to get research grants and be a consolidated research center for the American
transportation industry as do consortiums as the European Airbus.
Since New Mexico already has within its borders: Los Alamos
National Labs, Phillips Lab, Sandia National Lab, New Mexico State University,
and the White Sands Missile Range; we have fabulous facilities and human resources
readily available to initiate this concerted endeavor in research and design of
the various modes of transportation.
In America in general and in New Mexico in particular, students
achievement in Mathematics and the hard Sciences is lagging behind the performance
of the students in many other countries. I'm hoping that by studying the history
of the evolution of transportation at our new Transportation Museums will inspire
our students to take their math and hard sciences classes more seriously... knowing
that those topics are the prerequisites to become an engineer or an inventor in
the career field of Transportation.
In the global economy, Transportation is a
much larger market than Computers. Now, that there are 6 billion people on this
planet who want to go somewhere, it's critical that we produce modes of transportation
that is efficient, economical, safe, and ecological. So, while northern California,
Massachusetts, Austin, and Dublin compete as the ultimate Silicon Valley; going
into the new millennium, Albuquerque should stake a claim as the Transportation
Valley.
First, we're trying to form a partnership among the institutions
of higher learning in New Mexico.
Then we'll start a mentor program for students in high school which can continue
through post graduate college studies.
Later, if the need isn't fully addressed by New Mexico universities, we'll develop
vocational training for future researchers on leading edge issues of energy and
the transportation industry.
Working in conjunction with the transportation related museums in New Mexico,
we'll have access to the Institute of Museum and Library Services for quick retrieval
of transportation related research done elsewhere.
With the secret research at Area 51 and the U.S. Government not being forthcoming
with the 1947 UFO crash outside Roswell, New Mexico or the 1997 sightings of giant
triangles floating over Phoenix, Arizona and Mexico City; we'll be unrealistic
of expecting any meaningful assistance from Sandia
National Laboratories.
In the promotion of world peace, the Transportation Academy shouldn't be a launching
pad for students to become future researchers for military weapons delivery systems.
We'll encourage our students to obtain employment in the commercial arena. Since
we're only mentoring or training students, rather than doing any research ourselves.
Obviously the choice is up to each graduate.
